Burial apparatus.



' Pat ented Oct. 30, I900 J.'GARHART.

BURIAL APPARATUS.

(No Model.)

(Application filed June 28, 1900.)

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Patented l'lct. 30, I900. J. CARHABT.

BURIAL APPARATUS.

(Application filed Jgne 28, 1900.)

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JOHN CARHAR'I, OF CAMPBELL, CALIFORNIA.

BURIAL APPARATUS.

sPEoIFIcATIoiv forming part of LettersPatent No. 660,947,-dated October so, 1906. Application filed June 28, 1900. serial lilo. 21,917. (No model.)

To all whom it ma concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN GAR'HART, acitizen of the United States,residing at 0am pbell, in the county of Santa Clara and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Burial Apparatus; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in burial apparatus, and pertains to a tomb adapted to be temporarily placed over a grave to receive the casket and to lower the same therein, all of which will be fully described hereinafter, and the claims.

The object of my invention is to providea temporary tomb to be placed over dug graves and into which the casket is placed and entirely inclosed from view and while inclosed to cover it with dirt, thus keeping from view the gloomy dismal scenes of a burial.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a temporary burial tomb embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation showing the mechanism for lowering the casket into the grave. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 4is a transverse sectional View.

Referring now to the drawings, A represents two transverse base-pieces, upon which is placed a rectangular frame B, composed of longitudinallyand transversely arranged sills or beams. Projecting from the ends of this frame B are'the U-shaped end pieces 0, and projecting from the corners of the frame outside of the end pieces 0 are the ornamental posts D. Extending across and connecting the upper ends of these ornamental posts D are the ornamental upper end portions E, which are preferably shaped as here shown. Connecting the upper ends of the posts D and extending longitudinally of the tomb are the bars F, which may be round, as here shown,

or of any other desired ornamental formation.

The sides G of the tomb are detachable and have their upper edges resting behind the bars F and their lower ends resting upon the particularly pointed out in longitudinal beams constituting part of the rectangular frame B. These sides may be readily removed forthe purpose of permitting access within the tomb for arranging the parts for the burial ceremony, which will be more fully explained further on. The top H is also removable and merely sets loosely in place, whereby it can also be removed for allowing access within the tomb.

Passing longitudinally of the upper portion or top of the tomb just below the top H is an operating-shaft I, which has at its rearend a suitable sprocket-wheel J Journaled to the same end of the tomb is a sprocket-Wheel K,

and passing around these sprocket-wheels J 7 and K isv a suitable sprocket-chain L. A crank M is firmly connected With thesprocketwheel K, and a vertically-arranged hand-lever N is pivoted to one end of the rear base-piece A and connected by means of a link P with the wrist-pin of the crank M. Intermediately pivoted to the opposite end of the rear basepiece A is a horizontal foot-lever Q, which has its inner end connected also with the wrist-pin of the crank M through themedium of a link or pitman S. From thisdeseription and illustration it will be seen that the handlever N is connected by means of a horizontal link and that the foot-lever Q is connected by a vertical link with the crank M, whereby an operator at one side of the tomb may with his foot assist in regulating the revolution of the shaft I in the lowering or raising of the casket (in a manner to be fully explained hereinafter) and an operator at the-opposite side of the tomb may assist through the medium of the vertically-arranged lever N. .By this arrangement the casket. raising and lowering mechanism is never permitted to get on a center, and hence the casket can smoothly and regularly be lowered or raised.

The box a, which is to receive the casket, is suspended upon the tapes I), which pass around the box, as illustrated, and are thenwrapped double around the operating-shaft I. This box it differs from the ordinary box used for receiving the casket in that it has an open end 0 toward the front of the tomb, which is adapted to be closed by means of a suitable board or door 61 instead of having an open top into which the casket is lowered.

Projecting from the front end of the tomb are the beams or brackets 6, between which are journaled the rollersf. In placing the casket in position within the box the box is elevated with its bottom about in a line with the upper peripheries of the rollersf and the casket then placed upon the rollers and pushed thereon into the box.

Vhen the grave has been dug and the tomb placed in position thereover, the dirt is piled against the pivoted boards h, located below the rectangular frame B. These boards or doors h are pivoted at their upper edges and adapted to swing inward, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 4. These pivoted doors or boards hare held againstin ward movement by means of the intermediately-pivoted buttonst', situated at the inner sides of the base-pieces A, with their ends abutting against the lower free edges of the said doors. There may be one of these buttons at each end of the tomb or only one of them, as desired or found expedient Connecting one end of the button and thebox ct is a cord m of such a length that when the box a, containing the casket, has reached the bottom of the grave the buttons will be tilted to permit the dirt piled against the doors to force them inward and to fall in upon the box and cover it. In this way the casketis automatically covered with the dirt from view.

The tomb may be formed of wood or metal and either enameled or marbleized in imitation of marble for the purpose of ornamentation.

By means of an apparatus constructed as herein shown and described the lowering of the casket and the covering of the dirt is entirely inclosed and kept from view, thus to a considerable extent avoiding the dismal impression of the usual burial ceremony.

If desired, tombs constructed like this temporary tomb, with the exception of the operating mechanism, may supplement the temporary tomb when it is removed, or the grave may be finished up in the usual manner.

For the purpose of supporting the box a while the casket is being placed therein I provide the transversely-arranged removable bars 8, which pass freely through openings i, made in the longitudinal beams of the rectangular frame B. These bars serve to support the box firmly while the casket is being placed therein, and when the casket is to be lowered it is slightly elevated through the medium of the lever mechanism, and the bars .9 are removed from under the box containing the casket, which can be readily, gradually, and smoothly lowered into the grave and through the medium hereinbefore described the dirt automatically let in thereon for covering it, all of which is performed within the inclosed tomb and entirely out of View.

In order to permit the removal of the tapes from around the box a after it is lowered in position in the grave, the tapes near their upper ends will be provided with buckles or books, permitting them to be separated intermediate their ends, and then by revolving the shaft at the top of the tomb in the opposite direction the tapes will be wound thereon, and thus withdrawn from around the box a.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A temporary transportable tomb having closed sides and top and an open end, a lowering mechanism situated therein, and a projecting casketreceiving member in a line with the open end of the tomb, substantially as described.

2. A temporary inclosed tomb adapted to receive and lower the casket within the grave, the said tomb having movable doors at its lower portion against which the dirt is to be piled, and to be dumped within the grave by the inward movement thereof, substantially as described. I

3. An inclosed temporary tomb having an open end for the passage of the casket and provided with a casket-receiving means situated therein, doors at the lower portion of the tomb and pivoted at their upper end, movable means for holding the doors against inward movement under the pressure of the dirt piled against them, and means for releasing the holding means and permitting the doors to swing inwardly, substantially as described.

4. A temporary inclosed tomb adapted to receive a casket, means for lowering the catsket into the grave, the tomb having at its lower portion inwardly-movable doors against which the dirt is piled and locking and releasing means for the said doors, substantially as described.

5. A temporary tomb constructed to receive and lower a casket within the grave, the tomb having inwardly movable doors at its lower portion, a locking and releasing means for the said doors, and a connection between the locking and releasing means and the lowering mechanism, substantially as described.

6. An inclosed tomb adapted to receive a casket, a box-supporting means within the tomb for receiving the casket, movable doors at the lower portion of the said tomb against which the dirt is piled, means for locking the doors against movement, and a connection between the casket-receiving box and the said door locking and releasing means, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

J OHN OARI-IART.

Witnesses:

S. R. WADE, L. A. TRENKOLTZ. 

